Knowledge Library

5 tips for blogging for your business

If your business has a website, it should have a blog. Its not just a great way to connect with your consumers, its also a sneaky way to integrate your brand into their lives. If you offer quality content, your posts will come up in their newsfeeds and timelines. And if its entertaining or adds value to their lives, theyll share it. And thats how your business engages with consumers online.

But before you go and start your own blog, there are a few things you should know. Here Jessica Edgson from digital marketing agency, Rogerwilco, shares five of them.

Dont use IThis is not your story. And this is not an opinion piece. You have to be the expert but act like its not entirely coming from you. Sure, if youre writing about changes in the business, you can use we (if you really have to). But for the most part, using I makes your blog seem less official and more like a diary entry which bring us to the next point.

This is not a diary entry, dont treat it like oneThis is not the story of how your business came to be or what your managers get up to on the weekends. Or worse, some kind of personal introspection. Unless its a truly great story that the world should know about, youve got to create content that links to your brand but is not about your brand. This means finding relevant topics that your consumers will actually want to read. Its not about you. The sooner you accept that, the better.

Have a clear idea of what you want to writeBefore you sit down to create any sort of content, you should know exactly what you want to write. Scribble down some notes, draw a picture, talk to yourself whatever works for you. Do this so when you start to write you know where youre going with each point. You dont want to lose your way halfway through and have to start all over again.

Use subheadingsLook at this blog post. See how there are subheadings outlining each point? It makes it easier to read and follow the story. And, if you put down the subheadings first, it also makes it easier to write. That way you dont get lost in your own thoughts because its all already there and you just need to fill in the blanks.

Cut the flowersFlowery language is pretty in poetry and prose but thats where it should stay. Clean copy is writing that gets to the point (and explains that point) without taking the reader on any unnecessary detours. Once youve written your blog post, take a breather and then read it again. Cut out anything that doesnt need to be there. You can still make it entertaining but just make sure every sentence and word has a purpose. Avoid adjectives and adverbs unless they need to be there. For example, try steer clear of words that end in -ly (like beautifully or carefully).

Creating a blog for your business is a great idea. But if it doesnt contain quality content, it could do more harm than good. So, take these five pointers to heart and see what you can come up with. And if that doesnt work, hire a professional.

About Rogerwilco: Rogerwilco is an independent, award-winning digital marketing agency based in Cape Town, South Africa. Specialists in organic SEO, B2B marketing and Drupal web development, its portfolio includes the UN, World Economic Forum and Walt Disney as well as local blue-chips Sanlam, Tiger Brands and Wesbank. Its user-first approach boosts engagement between clients and their customers, delivering a meaningful return on investment by driving sales, applications or conversions. A member of the IAB and The Drupal Association of South Africa, Rogerwilco is committed to developing local Drupal talent and promoting it to US and European brands looking to outsource internationally. Founded by CEO Charlie Stewart and MD Jakes Redelinghuys in 2008, today its Cape Town team consists of 35 strategists, search analysts, content producers and outreach consultants. It also recently opened its Johannesburg office. Visit www.rogerwilco.co.za or follow @rogerwilco_sa.

It has only been about ten years since social media really became a big thing. Yes, it was around for a while before then in one way or another, but it just wasn’t on the same scale as we see today. Now in 2016, almost one third of the world population is on social media – 31% to be exact.

Marketers working for business to business (B2B) brands can no longer merely dabble in social media - they need to start focusing on it as one of the most powerful and important tools to which they have access.

Think of a brand you fervently believe in, a brand you use to express yourself and one you would recommend to friends. When consumers deeply connect with a brand’s values in this way, we call that "Identity Loyalty."